The US Consulate celebrated the 234th anniversary of America's independence with a National Day event here, Tuesday. The event also celebrated the 65th anniversary of the historic meeting on Feb. 14, 1945 between King Abdul Aziz and President Franklin Roosevelt aboard the USS Quincy. US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia James Smith, Consul General Martin Quinn, and Saudi Foreign Ministry Director General, Makkah Region, Ambassador Mohammed Al-Tayeb welcomed and delivered remarks to the approximately 400 guests at the event. Consul General Quinn noted that several senior US officials came to Jeddah over the past year, including Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, and Secretary of Energy Steven Chu. He also highlighted the fact that a number of President Barack Obama's special envoys had come to Jeddah to advance his call for a new relationship with the Muslim World, one based on mutual respect and mutual interest. These included Science Envoy Dr. Elias Zerhouni, Special Representative to Muslim Communities Farah Pandith, and Special Envoy to the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) Rashad Hussain. The event featured visual displays highlighting American culture and heritage.
